You've got a smart best friend, she's OK
Have you had a smile today
Push the door and take your seats
I've been seen playin' for keeps
Dear heart, don't stop fighting
Prepare, ride the lightning
It's like heart-heart-heartbeat
Just like banging rhythm

- riot rhythm by sleigh bells

Her childhood had been a lonely one.

Sure, her parents had loved and coddled her - when they were around, which had been increasingly less and less as she began to mature. Mimsy was still a young wolf, but she felt somewhat self-sufficient; in leu of the protection and support of her ever-absent parents, Mimsy had learned to take care of herself... mostly. There was much the girl did not know, knowledge about medicine and herbs and how to protect herself from danger - key information for survival that every wolf should know at least a little bit about, in her opinion.

Of course, it wasn't all bad - she had her exploring to keep her busy. Every morning, she left her den and set out to discover new and exciting places hidden away within Inaria. It was so thrilling to find a pristine pool of crystal clear water surrounded by moss and lilies, undisturbed. Such places, often left unvisited for long periods of time, had a different atmosphere about them than the rest of the pack lands, something almost mystical. It sent tingles down Mimsy's back, causing her fur to fluff up a little.

"You know," she said to no one, "pretty soon I'll explore all of Inaria.. I dunno what I'll do then." The realization of this fact brought feelings of sadness rushing in like the evening tide. Mimsy let a sigh tumble from her lips, wistful and wanting for more.

There was always the pack. Her parents had held high ranks, once - her father's rank had been seized by another in his absence, and while Mimsy thought that somewhat unfair.. the rank could not simply go on forever with an absent leader. She knew that, but even then, it left a sour taste in her mouth. The doe-eyed girl strode through Inaria on delicate and long legs, almost dancing along on top of the moss and fallen leaves. Her mother had lost her rank as beta, that thought making her frown deepen. Frowns were such ugly things.. she shook her head, a small smile replacing the previous look of disapproval. The past could not be changed for her parents - but perhaps she could uphold their legacy, revitalize it through her own hard work and dedication to the pack they both had loved so much. Yes, that was what she would do. It was time for her to truly become an Inarian, and the best one she could be, at that. The only problem was..

Mimsy had no idea where to even start.

☙LITTLE BRAVEHEART☙

So this is it then, you're here to win, friend
Click, click saddle up see you on the moon then
You're all alone, friend, pick up the phone then
Ring, ring call them up tell them about the new trends

Have a heart, have a heart, have a heart
Sixteen six six six and we fell apart
We form a tarot pack and I'm aware of that
But we could fist fight drunk like the parent trap

"Eleven..." Felix huffed jumping up onto the fallen tree and then down again, "Twelve..." He repeated the action, jumping up and down, his lithe young form springng up and down with ease, landing lightly each time before bouncing back up, counting quietly to himself all the while. "Thirty!" He finally exclaimed, slightly out of breath, as he landed back on the ground after a few more minutes of ceaseless bouncing.

While he was not yet full grown it was obvious the young wolf took after his parents in the bulk and muscle department, which is to say he didn't have any. A lack of genetic predisposition had done little to dampen his enthusiasm for working out however as he had yet to really comprehend that he wasn't about to bloom into Fringe Dire just by doing push ups. He was just starting a round of these when he heard a voice nearby and flicked his ears about to listen. "...no what I'll do then Was all he caught, but he recognized the voice, he bobbed so he could peek through a gap under the log and spotted four long lavender legs trotting past. Ah ha!

Felix, who wouldn't know what an existential crisis was if it bit him, saw his sister strolling along looking graceful and wistful and did what any good brother should - Blunder in uninvited and bother her with annoying questions. Abandoning his workout in favour of the better sport of sister baiting he hopped up onto the trunk of the fallen tree again and trotted along its stricken form until he reach a branch that jutted out directly over her path, ensuring he would be directly in her line of sight. Step one of being deliberately annoying - Be visible. "Hey Mim," He said bouncing up and down precariously on the branch that he had now discovered was pleasantly springy. "Practicing pouting?" He enquired while frowning and jutting out his bottom lip at her dramatically. Ah siblings.

☙LITTLE BRAVEHEART☙

So this is it then, you're here to win, friend
Click, click saddle up see you on the moon then
You're all alone, friend, pick up the phone then
Ring, ring call them up tell them about the new trends

Have a heart, have a heart, have a heart
Sixteen six six six and we fell apart
We form a tarot pack and I'm aware of that
But we could fist fight drunk like the parent trap

You've got a smart best friend, she's OK
Have you had a smile today
Push the door and take your seats
I've been seen playin' for keeps
Dear heart, don't stop fighting
Prepare, ride the lightning
It's like heart-heart-heartbeat
Just like banging rhythm

- riot rhythm by sleigh bells

As if sensing her melancholy mood and deciding that that just couldn't be allowed to continue, her charming brother pranced onto the scene. Mimsy regarded him with a curious look, large round eyes wide. Bouncing up and down on the springy branch didn't seem like the smartest idea, but far be it from Mimsy to spoil someones fun.

"Hey Mim. Practicing pouting?"

She stuck her tongue out at him and blew a raspberry, shaking her head as she did. Although a little annoying, it was nice to not be alone. With her siblings, she could just be herself - they knew who she was and how she acted. Mimsy didn't need to walk on eggshells. "I'm trying to decide what I wanna be." the small girl stated in a semi-annoyed voice. He had interrupted her thinking, but maybe he could help her. "What do you think I should do? Like what rank, I mean." It'd be a miracle if he took it seriously enough to really answer her.

Mimsy had thoughts of maybe being a sentinel, or a healer - she didn't know that much about plants, but was more than willing to learn.
Guarding the borders and deciding who to let in and who to send away sounded like a pretty noble position to hold, too, though. Her brows furrowed as frustration built within her. Why did things have to be so difficult?!

The young Inarian huffed in irritation, plopping her butt down on the soft grass. Surely the answers would come to her in time, right? That's what her mother had always told her -- 'Patience, all things in their time'. While Mimsy wanted to respect her mother's lessons, sometimes it just became too much for her to bear. She needed direction, she needed guidance - Mimsy needed her parents, then more than ever. But they weren't there. Instead, the young girl found herself in the company of a brother who knew just as much about life as she did. Still, it was nice to have someone in her family to talk to.

"What rank are you gonna go for, Fe-fe?"

☙LITTLE BRAVEHEART☙

So this is it then, you're here to win, friend
Click, click saddle up see you on the moon then
You're all alone, friend, pick up the phone then
Ring, ring call them up tell them about the new trends

Have a heart, have a heart, have a heart
Sixteen six six six and we fell apart
We form a tarot pack and I'm aware of that
But we could fist fight drunk like the parent trap

Mimsy blew a raspberry at him and he grinned, stuck his tongue out back at her, and pulled a daft face. His target was successfully vexed, one point to him!

"I'm trying to decide what I wanna be.What do you think I should do? Like what rank, I mean?"

"You wanna be something other than pouty?" Felix asked in mock horror, "But you're so good at it!" He continued his bouncing with an even bigger grin on his face. If anyone was scoring this exchange that would be two to him now he was sure. The branch clearly disagreed however as it chose that moment to give an ominous crack and tip him unceremoniously on the floor. He didn't quite kiss the dirt, but it was close. He stumbled down the now nearly vertical and dangling tree limb with a lot of scrabbling and very little grace as he tried to prevent gravity catching up with him and sending him rump over ears. His descent ended with him sitting down heavily on his back side with an "Ooomph!" of expelled air. "Owww I think I bruised my butt Mim." He said plaintively standing up and craning his head round to see if there was any obvious damage to his rear end. There wasn't, the damage was mostly pride based.

"What rank are you gonna go for, Fe-fe?"

"Me? Felix said having had his fill of karma and deciding to sit down - a little gingerly on his glowing posterior- opposite Mimsy and 'talk nicely' as his mother would have said. "Royal Guard" He said puffing his chest out, making his unimpressive form fluffier rather than bulkier as was his intention."I'm in training already!" He announced, though his solitary training hardly counted, "I'm going to be a Jacanda Dire" He added, not realizing that genetics were not a subject you could apply wishful thinking to. "Why don't you be one too?" He suggested helpfully, "Sure you're a bit weedy-" pot calling the kettle black, "But you can come train with me if ya want?"

☙LITTLE BRAVEHEART☙

So this is it then, you're here to win, friend
Click, click saddle up see you on the moon then
You're all alone, friend, pick up the phone then
Ring, ring call them up tell them about the new trends

Have a heart, have a heart, have a heart
Sixteen six six six and we fell apart
We form a tarot pack and I'm aware of that
But we could fist fight drunk like the parent trap

You've got a smart best friend, she's OK
Have you had a smile today
Push the door and take your seats
I've been seen playin' for keeps
Dear heart, don't stop fighting
Prepare, ride the lightning
It's like heart-heart-heartbeat
Just like banging rhythm

- riot rhythm by sleigh bells

"You wanna be something other than pouty? But you're so good at it!" her brother teased, causing Mimsy to blow another raspberry at him. Felix seemed to lose his footing on the branch, falling down on his rump. Bi-colored eyes went wide as she watched her brother take a tumble, a wave of worry washing over her.

"Ooomph! Owww I think I bruised my butt Mim."

His claim was met with an enthusiastic "Hah!" as the girl pointed at Felix with a little paw. "That's what you get, you dork!" Mimsy giggled at the end, her expression showing Felix that she was just teasing him. As long as he wasn't actually hurt, she was fine with poking harmless fun at him. After all, Felix didn't seem to have a problem teasing her right back.

"Me? Royal Guard. I'm going to be a Jacanda Dire."

Mimsy's head tilted to the side, regarding her sibling with a look of confusion. "Is that how that works?" He'd said it so confidently that she didn't feel right even asking that question, but it didn't sound right. Mom had said that they were dire wolves.. could someone just become a Jacana dire? It wasn't surprising that Felix had chosen to go that route - he was a brave brother, she had to give him that. He just wanted to help people, like she did - but he seemed to have a better grasp on how to go about it than she did.

"Why don't you be one too? Sure you're a bit weedy- But you can come train with me if ya want?"

Now there was an idea! Training with her brother to be a Royal Guard.. that did sound nice. She was willing to forgive the 'weedy' comment, just because Felix was being nice. "Maaaaybe.." Mimsy muttered uncertainly, brows knitting together. "D'you think they'll let me?" It had occurred to her before that maybe they wouldn't even let her try - but Inaria was a good place. They wouldn't try to stop her, right? No, of course not! The girl tried to reason with herself, but the thought kept nagging at her. "What do you do to train?" she asked her brother, honey and oak eyes landing on her brother's face.

finally got this reposted lol. still open to one or two others!

☙LITTLE BRAVEHEART☙

So this is it then, you're here to win, friend
Click, click saddle up see you on the moon then
You're all alone, friend, pick up the phone then
Ring, ring call them up tell them about the new trends

Have a heart, have a heart, have a heart
Sixteen six six six and we fell apart
We form a tarot pack and I'm aware of that
But we could fist fight drunk like the parent trap

He was patrolling the inner part of the lands looking for anything that might need his attention and also to make sure he was familiar with everyone within, he wasn't the only one accepting individuals at the borders after all and he wanted to make sure he knew who had been accepted when they weren't accepted by him, it wouldn't do to be complacent and assume wrong about someone later when it was too late. He hadn't gone far when he picked up a pair of scents, one he recognized and one he did not. Either one would have given him reason to investigate but the two of them together was far more than could be ignored. He arrived just in time to hear part of the conversation and what he heard made him extra glad that he had chosen to approach as there were things to correct and address in regards to the youngsters discussion. "Hello..". He said in greeting as he walked up to them. The young male he had met before but the other he had not which meant introductions were in order. "I am Aeolus..I'm afraid I couldn't help overhearing part of your discussion and well..perhaps I misunderstood but it sounded as if you were saying you could train to be a Jacanda Dire. I apologize if that is not what you were saying or what you meant but if it allow me to enlighten you..a Jacanda Dire is a species of wolf just as there are Arctic wolves and Timber wolves so are there Jacanda Dire wolves and it is impossible to train to be a different species so if you were not born a Jacanda Dire you can not become a Jacanda Dire". There that was taken care of in as diplomatic a way as possible since well he didn't think either of the pair were Jacanda Dires but just in case either of them were he didn't want to cause any undue upset about it.

Now on to the next part "As far as becoming a Royal Guard only individuals who can demonstrate they would be suitable and capable of managing such a rank will be chosen for it and not everything such a rank requires can be trained for young Felix. And posing as a Sentry at the borders is a very good way to not be chosen as a Royal Guard". He said directing his attention to the border crasher mostly but now turning to give more attention to the other present. "Do you also wish to become a Royal Guard?". He asked her curious as whether she did or not. Regardless of the answer she gave he could and would do what he could to help. It was his job as a Sentry yes, but in this instance more importantly as a Page, to help his packmates, find their place in the pack and a way they could contribute to it.

OOC: Mimsy's new design! <3 Love that girl so much! "Is that how that works? Maaaaybe..D'you think they'll let me? What do you do to train?"

"Jacanda Dires. Nothing more Inarian than Jacanda trees so they must just mean really Inarian Inarians - Mum and Dad are Inarian, and thier parents, and thier parents too! You don't get more Inarian than that, therefore we've got to be Jacanda Dires." Felix expounded his theory confidently.

Felix didn't get round to answering the part about how he trained as movement caught his eyes. They widened in horrified recognition. He jumped to his feet in a sudden dither of panic. Oh no. Oh no. Oh shit! "Hide! It's that twa-"

Hello..".

"-t" The last syllable was barely audible as Felix went from standing to sitting again in a flash and then visibly shrank behind Mimsy and proceeded to do his best impression of invisible.

"I am Aeolus..I'm afraid I couldn't help overhearing part of your discussion and well..perhaps I misunderstood but it sounded as if you were saying you could train to be a Jacanda Dire. I apologize if that is not what you were saying or what you meant but if it allow me to enlighten you..a Jacanda Dire is a species of wolf just as there are Arctic wolves and Timber wolves so are there Jacanda Dire wolves and it is impossible to train to be a different species so if you were not born a Jacanda Dire you can not become a Jacanda Dire".

"Eaves dropping is rude!" Felix said, bristling slightly, the stinging embarrassment of having been just told he couldn't be more wrong if he tried causing him to decide he wasn't so invisible after all. "But I heard you had to be a Jacanda Dire to be a Royal Guard." Felix argued. Wait... If that was so then Felix was disqualified because of what he was? He didn't even have a chance? He and Mimsy were what? Second class citizens? A weight settled in his stomach and he felt a bit sick. It wasn't fair. "What's so special about them then?"

"As far as becoming a Royal Guard only individuals who can demonstrate they would be suitable and capable of managing such a rank will be chosen for it and not everything such a rank requires can be trained for young Felix. And posing as a Sentry at the borders is a very good way to not be chosen as a Royal Guard. Do you also wish to become a Royal Guard?"

Young Felix. "Did you stop by just to be patronising?" Felix demanded. "Don't answer him if you don't want to Mim." He added to his sister. "This guy has a stick so far up his arse I don't know how he's gonna get it out."

Aeolus had several valid points and was just trying to help but as far as Felix was concerned Aeolus had just purposefully embarrassed him, burn down his dreams and patronised him all in the space of about two minutes. Today was not a good day for Felix and in true Felix style he was only making it worse for himself.

You've got a smart best friend, she's OK
Have you had a smile today
Push the door and take your seats
I've been seen playin' for keeps
Dear heart, don't stop fighting
Prepare, ride the lightning
It's like heart-heart-heartbeat
Just like banging rhythm

- riot rhythm by sleigh bells

"Jacanda Dires. Nothing more Inarian than Jacanda trees so they must just mean really Inarian Inarians - Mum and Dad are Inarian, and their parents, and their parents too! You don't get more Inarian than that, therefore we've got to be Jacanda Dires."

Mimsy gave her brother an incredulous look, not quite believing his theory. If Jacanda dires were just really Inarian-Inarians, wouldn't that make mum and dad both Jacanda dires? Mim knew they weren't Jacandas - the question of 'what are we?' had been posed endlessly to their dad. Blaise had always said they were dire wolves, the oldest breed of wolf there was. How old was the Jacanda breed, and what made wolf breeds different from other breeds? Before she could continue that train of questions, her brother interrupted her with an almost panicked tone.

"Hide! It's that twa-"

Hello..".

"-t."

The girl whipped around to face the stranger, inspecting his face. She hadn't seen him around before, but that wasn't unusual. She was still pretty young, after all. A little embarrassed that her brother had called this stranger a 'twat', Mimsy offered him an apologetic smile. "Uh, hey!" she managed to bark out nervously before trying to regain her composure.

"I am Aeolus..I'm afraid I couldn't help overhearing part of your discussion and well..perhaps I misunderstood but it sounded as if you were saying you could train to be a Jacanda Dire. I apologize if that is not what you were saying or what you meant but if it allow me to enlighten you..a Jacanda Dire is a species of wolf just as there are Arctic wolves and Timber wolves so are there Jacanda Dire wolves and it is impossible to train to be a different species so if you were not born a Jacanda Dire you can not become a Jacanda Dire."

Mimsy could only stare at this Aeolus for a moment, completely dumbfounded by the massive amount of talking she had been confronted with. She blinked and shook her head, giving Felix a 'what the heck' look. He was kinda preachy, wasn't he? Still, she believed in being friendly, and Aeolus was just trying to help.

"Eaves dropping is rude! But I heard you had to be a Jacanda Dire to be a Royal Guard. What's so special about them then?" Her brother barked his rebuttals and questions in a frustrated manner, little hackles prickling. Mimsy pressed her shoulder into his for comfort, giving him a little nudge. "It's okay Felix," she offered in a soft tone meant only for her brother to hear. Mimsy didn't know enough about the Royal Guards to argue one way or the other, but if she had to pick a side it was going to be Felix's. If Royal Guard was a rank that only Jacanda dires could have, though... no, that wasn't fair. What was so special about a Jacanda dire? She was quite curious about that, too.

"As far as becoming a Royal Guard only individuals who can demonstrate they would be suitable and capable of managing such a rank will be chosen for it and not everything such a rank requires can be trained for young Felix. And posing as a Sentry at the borders is a very good way to not be chosen as a Royal Guard." Posing as a sentry? She gave her brother a glance as Aeolus mentioned that, wondering if it was true - Aeolus probably had no reason to lie, and Felix could get a little.. reckless. Dad had called him the 'wild child' sometimes, and Mim could see why. "Did you stop by just to be patronizing? Don't answer him if you don't want to Mim. This guy has a stick so far up his arse I don't know how he's gonna get it out." "Felix!" she said in a quick cutting tone, her gaze telling him to shut his trap and shut it now. It was one thing to be a little rude, but he was starting to cross the line.

"I'm not sure what I wanna be yet," Mimsy answered honestly, mismatched gaze landing on Aeolus once more. "But.. if me and Felix wanna be Royal Guards.. we're gonna be!" And that was that. Whatever logic Aeolus and the rest of the pack used to justify keeping Royal Guards Jacanda-only, Mimsy threw straight out the window. She and her brother were true-blooded Inarians with bloodlines going back generations - or her parents had said something like that, anyway. If they really threw themselves into it, she was sure they could accomplish their goal!

"What rank are you?" the two-tone girl asked Aeolus, curious as to what rank he held. He seemed to know a lot about Royal Guards, despite not being a Jacanda dire. Why did he care so much about correcting them? He'd mentioned finding Felix posing as a sentry on the border, so maybe that was his rank. She waited patiently, her focus mostly on her brother and keeping his foul attitude in check.

☙LITTLE BRAVEHEART☙

So this is it then, you're here to win, friend
Click, click saddle up see you on the moon then
You're all alone, friend, pick up the phone then
Ring, ring call them up tell them about the new trends

Have a heart, have a heart, have a heart
Sixteen six six six and we fell apart
We form a tarot pack and I'm aware of that
But we could fist fight drunk like the parent trap